Carrier for full-fashioned knitting machines



Nov.' 29, 1938-. F..A REDCAY 2,138,389

CARRIER FOR FULL-FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed ot. 26, 193s INVENT OR.

Patented Nov. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE l l 2,188,889 CARRIER FOR FULL-FASHIONED mirarme.A

MACHIN Application October 26, 1936, Serial No. 107,504

l 2 Claims. `'I'his invention'relates-to knitting machines of the Afull-fashioned type, and is concerned pri- A' marily with'the thread carriers which feed thread to the knitting needles.

At the present time certain types of work, such as the making of a reinforced heel in hosiery requires the use of a transversely moving thread carrier which feeds a pair of yarns to the sinker bed in spaced relation to one another. The desirability of such an arrangement has been well recognized in the knitting art. yarns which are fed to the needles in the sinker bed have a spaced relation which is measured by the number of needles, and which spaced relation is maintained throughout the knitting operations.

Accordingly, thread carriers have been proposed which are formed with spaced tubes through which the yarns pass to determine Vtheir 20 relative positions as they are being fed to the needles. However, whenever the spaced relationship of the yarns is to be varied to accom- 4 degree of diiculty and annoyance.

With the foregoing conditions in mind, this invention has in view as its foremost objective the provision of a thread carrier which is' de-v,

to work of different types.

In carrying out this idea in a practical embodiment, this invention contemplates the use 40 of a thread carrier which is formed with a bifurcated or forked portion to provide a pair of legs. Each of these legs carries a tubular element which is in communication with a groove formed in each leg. The carrier is made from an appropriate metal which has the ability to obtain any formation into which it may be bent. lBy spreading the legs the desired distance apart, as by under the influence of a proper tool, the proper spaced relation between the tubular ele- 50 ments through which the yarn passes may be obtained in the carrier adapted to dlerent types of work.

A somewhat more detailed object is the provision of a thread carrier of the type above noted,

Ordinarily these operation carried out only with a considerable carrier may be adjusted to vary the space bef tween the yarns, and thereby adapt the carrier` (ci. ca -126) is peculiarly designed tov impart to the legs the ability to be spread or contracted a required amount, and maintained in the adjusted'position. 'I'his isattained by-"providing the body of the thread carrier with an elongated slot which terminates in an enlarged recess.

The material defining the body portion and legs is thinned out in the direction of the tubular elements. This enlarged recess readily adapts itself to having a tool inserted therein for the purpose v'of spreading the legs.

With the use of a thread carrier which isadjustable, as above noted, it is possible to make more varied styles of hosiery on a full fashioned machine without changing or adding attachments. Moreover, the thread carriers are particularly adapted for making :reinforced welts, finer seams and stripes in the hosiery product.

Due to the fact that the need for changing 'the thread carriers is obviated, speed of production is increased, and a longer life imparted to the carrier tubes, in that these parts, as well as the needles, are notfdamaged incident to any changing of the carriers, the latter having been eliminated.

A further advantage lies in the elimination ofthe liability of breaking or nicking the sinkers, which causes wear in the sinker bed and fre-k quently results in Asinker lines in the hosiery.

Various other more detailed objects and-ad- `vantages of the invention will in part become a groove, and carries a tubular element which is in communication with the groove. The carrier is made from an appropriate material imparting the ability of the legs to maintrn any adjusted relative position.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein A Figure 1 is a plan view of a thread carrier made in accordance with the precepts of this invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken about on 'the plane represented by the line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the various elements entering into the mounting of one of the tubular members in the carrier. This view brings out the parts in an exploded relationship, and

Figure 4 is a perspective showing, bringing out the relationship of the thread rcarrier to the sinker bed of a full fashioned knitting machine.

Referring now to the drawing, wherein likereference characters denote corresponding parts, and more particularly to Figure 4, the sinker bed of a knitting machine is identified by the reference character I0. Carried by the sinker bed I0, are the alternately disposed sinker, and dividers,v

which are referred to generally by the reference character II. The knitting needles are identified 2 and A3, the construction of the .thread carrierr C is illustrated in detail, and itis noted at this point that this thread carrier may be made from any appropriate material having the ability to vmaintain la position into which it may be deformed. In the preferred embodiment, the thread carrier is made from annealed spring vsteel which has this property to a high degree.

As shown in Figure 1, the carrier C is provided with a pair of openings, indicated at I5, which are availed of in assembling the carrier with the proper parts of the knitting machine. A slot IG extends from one end of the carrier, and terminates in an enlarged recess I1; the slot I6 and recess I1 together defining a bifurcated construction which takes the form of the spaced legs I8 and I9.

It is notable that the legs I8 and I9 are reduced in thickness in a direction away from the vrecess I1. Each of the legs I8 and I9 is provided with a groove 20 which terminates in a partially cylindrical opening indicated at 2I and which houses a sleeve element 22. The latter is of a split construction and embraces a tubular member 23v which is in communication with the groove 20.

A'Il'levconstruction of each of the legs I8 and I9,

comprisingy the parts 2I, 22 and 23, provides a proper mounting for assembling a tubular element 23 with each of the legs. p

At the lower extremities each of the legs I8 and I9 is slightly deformed to provide a bend, indicated at 24. These bends serve the purpose of properly disposing the Atubular elements 23 with respect to the sinker bed.

In the full line showing of Figure 4 the tubular elements 23 are shown in such a relative position as will provide for a spacing of the threads I3 and I4 six needles apart. When the legs I8 and I 9 are contracted the tubular elements 23 assume the inner dottedline positions, keeping the threads I3 and I4 four needles apart. If the legs I8 and I9 are expanded into the outer dotted line position the tubular elements 23 will be eight needles apart.

'The expanding actions may preferably be carried out by inserting an appropriate tool in the recess I1 and the slot I 6, while the constriction of the leg's I8 and I9 may be carried out in an obvious manner. It is evident that the relative positions of the tubular elements 23 of the legs I8 and I9 are capable of wide variation, and are not limited to the particular number of needles v above specified. Moreover, the bend 424 will be varied to accommodate the thread carrier to any particular ,type of work.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbefore set forth, it is to be clearly understood that I am not to bexlimited to the exact construction illustrated and described, because various modifications of these details may be provided in putting the` invention into practice within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. In a full-fashioned knitting machine, a thread carrier comprising a main body portion formed from a metal having the ability to retain any formation, in which it maybe bent, said body portion having a bifurcated construction defining a pair of legs which are integral with the body portion,.each of said legs being grooved, and a pair of tubular elements carried by said legs in spaced relation to each other, each of said tubular elements being in communication with the groove in the respective leg.` y

2. In a full-fashioned knittingy machine, a thread carrier comprising a main body portion formed with means for assembling the same to the appropriate parts of the knitting machine, said body portion` being made from an annealed spring steel and formed with an elongated slot terminating in a recess, said slot and recess defining a pair ofv spaced legs, each of said legs being formed with a groove, and a tubular element carried by each of said legs andin communication with the groove therein.

FREDERICK AVREDCAY. 

